Dersu Uzala

#director.Akira Kurosawa

#note.//The sequence of when they are caught in the blizzard. I'll always remember to build a hut from straw on a frozen lake where there is no other shelter available.

A solitary man can't survive long in the forest/wilderness once he gets older.

Kagemusha (The Shadow Warrior)

#director.Akira Kurosawa

#note.watched with Lil, Pete and Chou (all fell asleep); Chou saw before too.

#note.//the mountain, the center never moves. All fiction.

#link.wiki.historical account.

While the Takeda were for the most part destroyed by the loss of Shingen's heir, Katsuyori, Shingen had a profound effect on the period in Japan. He influenced many lords with his law, tax, and administration systems, and many tales were told about him. Although aggressive towards military enemies he was probably not as cruel as other warlords. His war banner contained the famous phrase Fū-Rin-Ka-Zan (風林火山 "Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain"?), taken from Sun Tzu's 'The Art of War.' This phrase refers to the idea of Swift as the Wind, Silent as a Forest, Fierce as Fire and Immovable as a Mountain. The motto applied to Shingen's policies and his military strategy.

After the Rain

#script.Akira Kurosawa

#note.//Ronin buys food.gift to ease mood.suffering. Peasant remarks that if he had a feast like this even just once every year, he could bear.suffer anything.//

//This self-image by Samurai, and in extension by Japan's feudal self is a form rationalization, a self-justification for the little killing and brutally that Samurai and Japan did to itself and others. Without this rationalization, there would be no warrior class.//